(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a destination prediction apparatus which predicts a destination of a user, and is particularly applicable to a destination prediction apparatus used in a mobile terminal device.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As a conventional destination prediction apparatus that uses a mobile terminal and predicts a destination of a user, there is, for example, a method which predicts a future destination of the user, as shown in FIG. 1, by accumulating activity of the user in a position log 14 of a communications provider; breaking down the accumulated activity of the user into discrete units of activity; and acquiring a personal activity pattern by modeling the activity of the user as a series of these units of activity (see Patent Reference 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-293540). In this method, an activity history of an individual is detected, so, for example, when the user has moved from intersection A to intersection B, the destination of the user is his/her workplace. In this manner, it is possible to predict the destination of the user.
In addition, there is a method in which starting/stopping an engine is used as a trigger in a car navigation device; a departure area is judged when the engine is started, a target area is judged when the engine is stopped, a history of the departure area and target area is acquired, and the destination is predicted.